trapped prey; sitting duck; fish in a barrel
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
a turtle in a jar; a person or animal trapped with no way to escape; easy prey
Used metaphorically to describe someone who is completely under control, surrounded, or trapped with absolutely no possibility of escape. Often carries a tone of inevitability regarding their capture or defeat.
Dí敌
rén人
yǐ已
bèi被
bāo包
wéi围
，
chéng成
le了
wèng瓮
zhōng中
zhī之
biē鳖
。
The enemy has been surrounded and has become a turtle in a jar.
Zhǐ只
yào要
wǒ我
men们
shǒu守
zhù住
chū出
kǒu口
，
nà那
xiē些
xiǎo小
tōu偷
jiù就
shì是
wèng瓮
zhōng中
zhī之
biē鳖
，
chā插
chì翅
nán难
fēi飞
。
As long as we guard the exits, those thieves will be fish in a barrel, unable to escape even with wings.
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Zài在
zhè这
chǎng场
qí棋
jú局
zhōng中
，
duì对
shǒu手
de的
guó国
wáng王
yǐ已
shì是
wèng瓮
zhōng中
zhī之
biē鳖
，
sān三
bù步
zhī之
nèi内
bì必
bèi被
jiāng将
sǐ死
。
In this chess match, the opponent's king is already trapped like a turtle in a jar, checkmate is inevitable within three moves.